Latest: Garda National Immigration Bureau to investigate Limerick resident with id in name of London attacker

Tuesday, June 06, 2017 - 01:38 PM

A man arrested in Limerick in connection with the London terror attacks, was working as a chef in the city using a PRSI identity paper number issued in the name of terrorist, Rachid Redouane.

Update 7.31pm: A source close to the investigation has said the arrested man has been working at a restaurant in Limerick city, and that he is suspected of working in Ireland illegally, and with allegedly using a false PPS number, writes David Raleigh.

Gardaí arrested the man at his workplace Monday night, sources said.

Officers attached to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) then carried out a search of the man's home, which is located in the city centre.

The man was taken to Roxboro Road Garda Station and questioned for around 17 hours on suspicion of using "forged documentation", garda sources confirmed.

He was released without charge this afternoon, pending a garda investigation file on the matter sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Senior garda sources said the investigation is "being led by GNIB". They added, gardaí were satisfied the man does not have any direct links with terrorists.

Sources said investigating officers suspect the man acquired identification documentation, via a third party, and that he had no knowledge of any terrorism plans.

"Gardai suspect he has been working here illegally and with a false PPS number, but the DPP will have to decide (if the man is to be charged)," a reliable source added.

Meanwhile, gardaí have discounted security concerns raised by a number of different parties about large numbers of foreign nationals transiting through a building in Limerick city, having entered the country via commercial flights at Shannon Airport.

Dozens of groups of men believed to have travelled from countries outside of Europe were reported to have been using the building after having landing at the Clare airport.

Having checked the matter out gardaí said the parties concerned did not pose any security threat.

"No there's nothing suspicious about it. We looked into it as there had been a number of reports made to us. It seems to have been a grounding address for people coming from Romania and other countries, who have right of access anyway," a senior garda source said.

Update 3.40pm:A man arrested in Limerick in connection with the London terror attacks, was working as a chef in the city using a PRSI identity paper number issued in the name of terrorist, Rachid Redouane, writes Mid West correspondent Jimmy Woulfe.

Like Redouane, the man arrested in Limerick is of Moroccan descent, and had been working here for some time illegally,

A source said: "This man had used false ID to acquire an RSI number in order to work. It seems he got Redouane's RSI number by chance and he used his own photo on the identity card with Redouane's name.

"Before coming to Limerick he worked in the South East of the country. He worked as a chef."

It appears his name came up on the Welfare system data and gardaí were alerted.

The man was released yesterday afternoon having been in custody since his arrest on Monday afternoon.

Fianna Fáil spokesman, Niall Collins said: "This shows up a major flaw in our welfare identity system. It now seems that RSI details of individuals are beng sold on to illegal immigrants who want to get work.

"This is worrying from a security point of view and also in relation to fraud. This only came to light because a major trawl has been conducted once it emerged that the killer, Redouane, had lived and worked as a chef in Dublin and was moving over and back to the UK.

"The Minister for Justice, Frances Fitzgerald and and the Minister for Social Protection, Leo Varadkar must make immdiate and detailed statements as to what has been going on. This has now come to our own doorstep.

"Islamic fundamental terrorists are now using Ireland as a base for their activies in the UK. We are seen as an easy open door to the UK as our security services have been decimated with cutbacks."

Update 3pm:The Limerick resident was was being questioned by Gardai after identification documents linked to one of the London terror attackers was found in his apartment has been released.

The man had been detained on suspicion of theft and fraud offences in relation to alleged false documentation.

The man was questioned for a number of hours and released this afternoon. A file will be sent to the DPP.

Earlier:The Limerick resident was was being questioned by Gardai after identification documents linked to one of the London terror attackers was found in his apartment has been released.A resident of Limerick is being questioned by Gardai after identification documents were discovered in his apartment in the name of one of the London terror attackers, a Limerick based website is reporting.

The Limerick Leader have reported this afternoon that the Moroccan national was arrested at a property in the city on Monday night on foot of information received from UK Police.

IN the exclusive Limerick Leader report it is suggested the documents were located during searches of an apartment and that the man in question is being questioned by detectives attached to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).

It is believed the documents are in the name of Rachid Redouane - one of the London attackers and who lived in Ireland for apewriod between 2055 and 2016.

The Limerick Leader are also reporting that sources within the gardai believe the man in custody has been living and working in Limerick for some time and that he may have lived elsewhere in Ireland prior to that.

They report that sources do not believe the man has been radicalised and that detectives are seeking to establish the authenticity of the documents and how they were obtained.

It is understood that one of the possibilities being explored is that the man acquired the documents after the London attacker had left the country.